Fire-extinguishing apparatus



Dec. 28, 1926. 1,612,622

o. R.l ERwlN FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Original Filed DSC. 2o,

Jw. @wwf/9A Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

`UNITED STATES 1,612,622 PATENT OFFICE.

ORLANDO R. ERVJIN, OF FOREST HILLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FOAMITE-CHILDS CORPORATON, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

FIRE-EXTlNGUISHING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 20, 1920, Serial No. 431,924. Renewed November 13, 1923.

This invention relates to lire extinguishing apparatus, and more particularly tola fire extinguishing apparatus of the type 1n which component chemical solutions are commixed in the event of tire for the production of a fire extinguishing medium such as foam; and has special reference to the provision of an apparatus of this type designed especially for the protection of isolated fire hazards and embodying the improvements disclosed and claimed in my copending application to a method and apparatus for extinguishing hres, Serial No. 421,634, filed November t, 1920.

A principal object of the present invention comprehends the provision of a fire extinguishing system of the foam producing type in which foam may be generated and delivered to relatively high elevations Without the employment of auxiliary operating mechanism for the system, the system being thus adapted for the protection of isolated localities such as segregated or separated oil tanks.

ln systems of the foam producing type for the protection of oil tanks or the like, it has been the customto provide means for placing the chemical component solutions under pressure either by the provision of a chamber containing air under pressure, or by the provision of a pumping system associated with the tanks containing the solutions in order to obtain sufficient force to raise the solutions and the generated foam to high elevations such as to the top of an oil tank, which in many instances may measure as high as 30 feet. One of the problems in connection with the extinguishing of fires of this nature has been the protection -of isolated tanks for small properties where the cost of a pumping system is prohibitive. I have discovered, as disclosed in my above mentioned copending application, that the foam compound may be delivered to the top of the oil tanks without the employment of pumping means or other auxiliary apparatus of this nature, and more specifically that the production and delivery of the foam may be eected by arranging thel parts of the apparatus in such a manner that the solutions are fed by a substantial gravity head into a mixing chamber, and there cominixed for the production of the foam and the foam delivered to the high elevations by the difference in specific gravit-ies between the component solutions and the resulting foam, and the present invention has for its main object the provision of an improved system of this nature. y

t A further principal object of the present invention relates to the provision of a system of the nature above referred to in Which the parts are co-ordinated to provide an apparatus automatically operated upon the occurrence of the fire. ln accomplishing this object of the invention, the tanks containing the component solutions are connected to a mixing chamber by means of solution lines which are normally closed and are maintained dry, means being provided for open` ing the said lines upon the occurrence of a fire, such means including a control line connected to the solution tanks and adapted to be operated upon the occurrence of a lire adjacent the region to be protected. To insure a simplicity of construction and to obtain dependability of operation, a coordinate object of the invention includes the provision of means forming part of the system for encasing or housing the control line to maintain the integrity of the same.

A still further object of the present inventionrelates to the provision of an apparatus of the nature referred to in which the parts are arranged to provide for a nonfreezing system. Y

A still other and ancillary object o f the invention includes the production of an apn paratus of the nature referred to in which the means for opening the solution lines in time of fire may be operated manually from a point remote from the fire in addition to the operation thereof automatically from a point adjacent the fire.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention and in Which- Figure l is a side elevational view of the apparatus with parts shown in cross section to disclose the interior construction of the same.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of one of the tanks with its associated parts, and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the solution tanks showing` the piping` connection thereto.

Referring to 'the drawings, the vsolution tanks 5 and 6 are adapted for the reception of the acid and basic solution respectively, having compositions described, for example, in the patent to lllalker, Number 1,185,2e8 of June G, 1916. Associated with the solution tanks is a mining chamber i', located in the bottom of pit 9 and located. below the level of the solutions in the tanks 5 and G. Connecting the tanks with the mixing chamber are solution communieating` means in the lform of solution 'lines 8 and 9 respectively, said solution lines extending into the solution tanks 5 and t3 and terminating one end in perforated pipe .sections 10 and 11 respectively, the other ends of the solution lines entendin into the mi chamber 7 and terminatiin;` in'solution outlets 12 and 13 respectively, as shown clearly in Figure 1 of the drawings. Each of the tanks is further provided with an additional perforated pipe section, as shown at 1li in F'gure 2, such pipe sections beingconnected to the solution lines by means of l'y-passes 15. l2ctween the perforated pipe sections and the solution lines are valve structi es vhereinafter described, these structures being` noi n'ially closed during' nonuso of Vthe appara tus and being' adapted to be opened in time of 'lire to permit the solutions in the tanks to gravitationally flow down into and through the solution lines and into the miie' ing chamber for commizrture therein to produce the fire extinguishing foam.

Means is provided for conducting the generated foam from the mixing' chamber to the point of application, `namely the lire, such means in the present invention comprising a foam riser 15 extending upwardly from the pit 9 and provided at its upper end with. a foam delivery mouth 1'? iitted to an oil tank 18 and opening into the said oil tank above the maximum level of the oil therein. The foam generated in the mixing' chamber by the admixture of the solutions discharging through the solution outlets 1S?, and 13 moves up the foam riser, due in part to the ditlerence in specific gravity of the solutions in the tanks and the foam resulting from their admixture, such a system ybeing described and claimed in my co-iL ending,` application above referred to, Serial Number 421,631.1-, filed lilovember 4L, 1920.

For the purpose of equalizing` the pressure on the solutions in 'the tanks 5 and G exerted at the solution outlets 12 and 13, and for other purposes that will become clearer hereinafter means is provided for connecting the foam riser with the solution tanks, such means consisting in an equalizing pressure pipe 19 connecting' each of the tanks to the foam riser 1G.

For normally preventing the solutions from entering the solution lines, any desired form of valve may be used,rtheY preferred embooiment of my invention including a valve construction which is not affected by the corrosive action of the chemical solutions used and which is capable of operation at all times. 'llo this end the construction consists-of sea-ledglass disks, here generally designated as and 21, mounted in the line of connection between the perforated pipe sections and the solution lines. rlhese disks normally prevent the entry of the solutions into the solution lines and are adapted in the event of fire to be broke vto permit the solutions to 'enter 'the solution lines.

Similar glass' disks are provided as at22,'

shown Vin 'Figure Q, between the perforated pipesections 14- and the by-pass 15. Such a 'valve means has been'found to be operable at all times, independent of any period of nonuse the device.

llieans are provided for automatically secting the device into operation in rt-lie event of lire, such means consisting` in provisions for breaking the glass seal disks upon the occurrence of the fire. lr. tl e present form of the invention, such provisions include the plungers mounted for vertical movement in spiders Q-l, forming partV of the acid and basic tanks and 6, these plungers being provided at their lower ends with breaker weights (not sliown) for rapt-tiring the glass seal disks, the plungers being` provided at their upper ends with heads adapted to be struck by the falling of weights such as ball weights 2G in the event of fire. The weights 26 are both connected to a counterweight 27 in the oil tank, a cord or' chain 28 and a plurality of fusible links 30 being provided for connecting the weights together, this control line being trained to move over a system of pulleys 29 convenient-ly located in the apparatus as `shown in the drawings, and through the equalizing pipe 19 and part of the'foain riser 15, these parts thus providing means for completely' housing or encasing` the control line protecting'the same against accidental ope 'ation or damage. ln the event of` fire'in the oil tank, the vlinks will be fused, as is obvious, breaking' the line of connection between the ball weights and the counterweight, permitting J'lie weights 26 to fall, c-uating the plungers 53o downwardly for theslmultane u breal o i of the sealed glass disks 2O and 21, the acid and basic solutions beingtlier l" perinit'ed to simultaneously enter the solution ine and into the mixing sary comniixtiufen chamber for the neces c Means is also provide-u for manually set-` ting tbe apparatus into activity in the event of the failure of operation of the automatic means, such means including a second set of nlungers o1, one in each tank, the plungers ,oeino similar in construction and operation to the plungers s8, these plungers being adapted to be actuated by ball weights 32, shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, these weights being connected to move in unison similar to the weights 26 and both being connected to a cord or chain 33, movable in guiding means such as pipe section 34, the cord or chain 33 terminating in an eye Se", adapted to be received by a hook 35, mounted in a hre-prooil box 36 at a point remote from the fire, as clearly shown in the drawings. In the event of non-operation of the automatic means described, the cord 33 is unhooked and released to permit the weights 32 to drop and actuate the slidable plungers 31 for simultaneous breaking of the glass seal disks 22 to permit the solutions in both the acid and basic tanks to flow into the solution lines through the bypasses 15.

One ot' the features of my invention is to provide a lire extinguishing apparatus of the type herein disclosed which shall not be affected by weather changes, the acid and basic solutions used being affected by cold weather. To provide a non-freezing system the. acid and basic tanks 5 and 6 respectively are interred, as shown in the drawings, and the solution lines connected thereto are lead downwardly and into the bottom of the pit 9. `With the parts so arranged, it has been ound that the system is not affected by cold weather.

For the purposes of obtaining convenient access to the parts of the apparatus, manheads 37 may be provided in the tanks, a manhcad 38 being also provided or convenient access into the mixing chamber 7. A permanent ladder S9 may, it desired, be provided in the pit 9.

'Ihe operation of my device will be apparent Jiirom the above description thereof. In the event of a lire, the breakable valves 20 and 21 or 22 will be broken either automatically by the occurrence of a re in the oil tank, or manually by release of the cord 33, the component solutions in the tanks flowing through the solution lines and into the mixing chamber, commixing therein or the production of the lire extinguishing foam. The foam moves up the foam riser to a point elevated substantially with respect to the solution tanks, the operating pressure being provided by the diilerence in speciiic gravities between the component solutions and the foam, and also by the pressure exerted on the levels of the solutions in the tanks 5 and G, a part of the foam in the riser moving through the equalizing pipe section 19 for the production of this pressure. The greater mass of the foam moves up the riser and discharges through the foam delivery mouth into the tank, quickly spreading over the surface of the burning oil therein, rapidly extinguishing the same.

From the above it will be apparent that I have provided a fire fighting unit especially adaptable in oil fields, but which may obviously be used in other locations, and in which the parts are arranged in a simple manner, the parts being so constructed and means being provided whereby a high degree of certainty of operation is obtained, thus yielding a maximum of lire protection for oil iields or the like.

While I have shown my device in the preferred form, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a ire extinguishing apparatus, a plurality of containers for holding component solutions which are adapted to be commixed in the event of tire to produce a fire extinguishing foam, a mixing chamber associated with said containers and located below the levels of the solutions in said containers, ducts connecting the containers with the mixing chamber, means :tor conducting the foam from the mixing chamber to a foam delivery station situated above the level of the solutions in the containers, and an equalizing pressure means connecting the containers with the conducting means.

2. A non-freezing fire extinguishing system comprising a plurality of interred solution tanks, a mixing chamber located below the level of the solutions in said interred tanks, provisions for commixing the solutions in time of lire to generate the fire extinguishing foam, means for conducting the foam from the mixing chamber to a delivery station above the level of solutions in the tanks, and pressure equalizing means connecting the tanks with the conducting means.

3. In a fire extinguishing device in which component solutions are adapted to be commix'ed in the event of lire to produce a fire extinguishing foam, tanks for the component solutions, a mixing chamber located below the level ot the solutions in the said tanks, means connected to the mixing chamber for conducting the foam generated therein to a delivery station above the level oi the solution in the tanks, ducts connecting the tank with the mixing chamber, valve means normally closing said ducts adapted to be opened in time of fire to permit solution flow and solution commixture in the mixing chamber, means for opening the said valve means including a breakable control line, and an equalizing pressure pipe connecting the tanks with the conducting means, the said pipe deiining means for encasing the control line.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 17 th day ot December, A. D. 1920.

ORLANDO R. ERVIN. 

